Activities of Barbara SPINELLI related to 2017/2131(INL)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the situation in Hungary (pursuant to the European Parliament resolution of 17 May 2017)
Amendments (7)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that the content of Article 2 TEU reflects binding and well- established principles of international law endorsed by all the Member States; stresses, therefore, that the full respect, protection and promotion of the rule of law, democracy and human rights represents also a common responsibility and an obligation arising from the fact of simply belonging to the international community;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Reminds that, according to Article 49 TEU, candidate countries must demonstrate that they satisfy the Copenhagen criteria in order to become members of the European Union and the Commission has a duty to demand full compliance with them; stresses that, once part of the Union, Member States have a corresponding obligation to respect and protect the principle of the rule of law and its constitutive elements, and that the Union principle of mutual trust does not exonerate them from evaluating the compliance of the other Member States with the Union law and particularly with the fundamental rights recognised by Union law;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that these values enshrined in Article 2 TEU are protected by the procedure established in Article 7(1) TEU; is of the opinion, however, that the Union should be equipped with an additional and more structured framework to monitor and assess the respect and promotion of the principles set out in Article 2 TEU; recalls, in this regard, that in its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights it asked the Commission to submit, by September 2017, a proposal for the conclusion of a Union Pact for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (EU Pact for DRF); regrets that this proposal is yet to come;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Reiterates its call to the Commission to make full use of the expertise of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in monitoring the situation of fundamental rights in the Union by proposing a revision of the FRA’s founding Regulation in order to grant it wider and more independent powers and greater human and financial resources;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds that the Venice Conventmmission defines the essential characteristics of the Rule of Law as legality, legal certainty and prohibition of arbitrariness, access to justice, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and equality before the law;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is worried byReiterates its deep concern about the recent developments in Hungary, where there are serious concerns aboutich are jeopardising and hampering the fulfilment of the principles of the Rule of Law and the principles stated in Article 2 TEU, including, inter alia, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, academic freedom, the human rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, freedom of assembly and association, the right to equal treatment, social rights, the defence of civil society organisations, the rights of people belonging to minorities, including Roma, Jews and LGBTI people, the functioning of the constitutional system, the independence of the judiciary and of other institutions;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6